Research Paper

A research paper presents the results of your investigations on a selected topic. Based on your own thoughts and the facts and ideas you have gathered from a variety of sources, a research paper is a creation that is uniquely yours. The experience of gathering, interpreting, and documenting information, developing and organizing ideas and conclusions, and communicating them clearly will prove to be an important and satisfying part of your education. There are many approaches to research—an essential part of every business and profession—and many ways to documented findings. The library has books, which will help you, and most English composition textbooks contain chapters on research techniques and style. The manuscript should be typed on one side of standard sized white bond paper. Erasable bond and onion skin are not acceptable. One-inch margins at the top, bottom right and left sides are required. The font should be in Times New Roman with a size of 12. The body of the paper should be a minimum of 4 pages and no more than 7 pages. (This total should not include charts, graphs, pictures, title page, abstract, or bibliography.) Double spacing is required throughout the paper. Double-space after every line of the title, headings, quotations, references, etc. Do not single or one-and-a-half space. Each page is numbered consecutively, including title page and reference page(s). Type numbers in the upper right-hand corner using Arabic numerals. Arrange the pages of the manuscript as follows: Title page numbered 1 Abstract (separate page numbered 2) Text (start on a new page numbered 3) Pages with figures or charts are not numbered The title itself is typed in uppercase and lowercase letters, centered on the page. If the title requires more than one line, double-space between all the lines. Your name, date and class should be in the lower right corner of the title page. The abstract is a brief (100-150 words) comprehensive summary of the research paper. The number 2 is typed in the upper right-hand corner of the page. The word ‘Abstract’ is centered as the first line of type on this page. Type the abstract as a single paragraph in block format. Within the text, paragraphs are indented five to seven spaces (which translates into about a ½ inch on word processors). The only exception to this requirement are the abstract, block quotations, titles and headings, entries in the reference list, table titles and notes (if any), and figure captions, which require no indent. The reference list begins on a new page. Type the word References centered at the top of the page. Double-space all reference entries. Indent the first line of each entry; the second and succeeding lines in references should be typed flush to the left-hand margin. It is understood that when the document is published in a journal, references will appear in a hanging indent format. All references should be done according to APA guidelines. There are books in the library and I have one if you wish to see the proper setup for the bibliography. You may use any available information such as books, magazine articles or journals, textbooks, and/or internet. You must have at least 4 sources with one of them being from each of the categories listed above. All references should have annotated bibliographies. Parenthetical citations should be used within the body of the manuscript when referring to a certain reference. An example—Earl N. Meyer and Tess Tube were scientists that had opposing views on this subject (Crump, 1999). All references should be written as an annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography is written the same as a regular bibliography except there are commentaries written by you telling your reader the particular virtues of that resource. Commentaries should be concise, economical summaries, written in sentence fragments: if related, fragments should be connected with semicolons. The commentary should begin on a new line, indented slightly from the preceding line.